Arrow rests are typically attached to an archery bow for supporting an arrow before and during release. Many arrow rests provide a degree of support to at least one side of an arrow while the bowstring is drawn and the arrow is released. This accommodates horizontal oscillations generated in the arrow shaft during release and acceleration of the arrow.
Upon release of a bowstring, tremendous driving forces are applied to the rear end of an arrow. In theory, if the forces are perfectly aligned with the axis of the arrow, with no induced horizontal or vertical forces, the arrow shaft will remain straight during its initial flight. As a practical matter, however, it is impossible for even the most skilled archers to apply all of the bow force along the axis of the arrow. Invariably, both horizontal and vertical off-axis forces are applied which cause the arrow to bend or flex.
The degree of these off-axis forces depends in part upon how the bowstring is released. When archers hold and release the bowstring with their fingers ("finger release") the bowstring rolls or slides off the fingers. This imparts a significant lateral or horizontal force to the rear of the arrow and causes the arrow to bend or bow in a horizontal plane. The arrow subsequently goes through a series of alternating left and right bowing or flexing motions. This alternating horizontal bowing is commonly referred to as "archers' paradox" or "fishtailing."
At one time, fishtailing was thought to be desirable to allow the fletched rear end of the arrow to bend around and to clear the sidewall of the bow. However, while the arrow fletching eventually stabilizes arrow flight and eliminates the bending oscillations of the shaft, fishtailing has a material and detrimental impact on arrow flight, arrow speed, shot repeatability, and shot accuracy. Accordingly, modern arrow rests are designed to reduce fishtailing while generally minimizing or avoiding significant interference between the arrow rest and the arrow fletching.
A cushion plunger, also known as a "Berger" button, is a simple and popular device for providing lateral arrow support to damp horizontal arrow oscillations. A cushion plunger generally comprises an elongated outer sleeve and an elongated inner plunger. The outer sleeve is cylindrical with external threads for lateral mounting through a threaded opening in an archery bow handle. The inner plunger is received within the outer sleeve and projects laterally therefrom to engage a side of an arrow. The inner plunger is outwardly biased to an extended position relative to the outer sleeve. It is depressible within the outer sleeve against the bias to absorb side pressure exerted by an arrow in the direction of the bow upon shooting, thus damping horizontal arrow oscillations. The strength of the outward biasing is typically adjustable to accommodate different archers, equipment, and shooting styles.
The cushion plunger is largely effective for supporting an arrow away from the sidewall of an archery bow handle and for damping horizontal oscillations. However, additional components or devices are needed for providing vertical support to an arrow. Therefore, arrow rests typically incorporate arrow supports for supporting an arrow from beneath. A cushion plunger is sometimes used in conjunction with a separate arrow support, although many arrow rests incorporate components to elevationally support an arrow as well as to dampen horizontal oscillations.
Martin Archery's 1990 archery equipment catalog, at pages 16-20, illustrates a number of popular arrow rests which include arrow support members. These and other rests are effective and popular. Where both a cushion plunger and a separate arrow support member are used, however, they must be separately attached to the bow handle. While convenient standards have developed for mounting a cushion plunger to a bow handle, some vertical support members must be glued or otherwise inconveniently attached to the bow. The mounting of some vertical supports is somewhat permanent and forecloses the possibility of later adjustment without removing and replacing the rest.
Rather than being mounted directly to the bow handle, some arrow rests include brackets for mounting to a cushion plunger, taking advantage of the convenient mounting standards for cushion plungers. However, these brackets typically result in more sophisticated and expensive arrow rests which are not desired by all archers.
Accordingly, archers have felt and continue to feel a need for a simple arrow rest which retains the mounting and operational advantages of the cushion plunger, adds the capability of an arrow support member, and does so without adding significant complexity or cost.